happilyeverbeginning | he's down on his luck / he's down on his knees (scrooge x poe)

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he's down on his luck / he's down on his knees (scrooge x poe)

This hadn't been the best plan, but for Poe De Spell, it was the only plan he had. He'd lost track of how long it'd been since that fateful day he ran away in the middle of the night, in a desperate escape to get away from his parent's clutches. The arranged marriage had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

What a sight he must be now, he mused. The high-class fashion he was once so proud of was basically in tatters. He had long since run out of the money he could use - he didn't bring his credit cards, that would have made for easy tracking. Anything he had managed to take had now been sold just so he could eat and maybe find a roof to sleep under, but even that wasn't made to be forever.

Where did one find work when your grades were bribed to As? Who did you trust, when his parents had a bounty on his head?

He did keep his phone, but it was off. If he turned it on, his parents would find him. But it was a last chance deal - if truly all else failed, he'd use it. He prayed it never came to that. Even if it meant selling the last thing he had - himself.

He sat on the side of the road, ignoring his stomach growling for the umpteenth time, eyes distant and not really staring at anything.

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Scrooge mumbled incoherently for a moment or two, shifting beneath the heavy blanket he didn't remember purchasing. It felt nice and warm except for that hard thing...

He opened his eyes.

Oh. Right.

"Morning, Poe," Scrooge greeted, his voice rough from just waking up.

Reality slammed its unwelcome way home - as did hormones. Gods, that was a nice voice to wake up to. Too bad the truck didn't come with a cold shower.

"I did warn you." Poe grumbled quietly, his cheeks a touch pink as he tried to untangle himself from Scrooge.

"It's fine. That's the warmest sleep I've had for a long time." Scrooge stretched his arms in front of himself. "Though you might want to switch your cellphone to a different pocket."

Poe was very swiftly crossed one leg over the other to hide his "phone."

"I'll, uh, try to remember that." But given how that happened on night one? It was doubtful he could stop it from happening again. Unlike his sister, Poe could at least admit he was attracted to Scrooge physically... just not to Scrooge himself.

Scrooge buckled his seatbelt and muttered a prayer before turning the key in the ignition. It took two tries, but the engine turned over and the truck started. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"We drive for another day."

Popping the truck in gear, he pulled out onto the highway. The sun was only just starting to rise, and the road was still mostly empty.

"We've got another two hours at least to go."

"Well, I'm already up." So napping was out of the question, and he was still squeezing his legs together in an effort to kill the morning fun.

"But I can't imagine someone like you and someone like me having anything to talk about."

"Well, you wanted my help with trying to get a job and earn money. We've got plenty of time to go over some possibilities."

He glanced at Poe.

"No offense, but I don't think construction work or moving inventory is going to work. Temp work might be best."

"I'll take whatever I can get." Poe replied, clearly not offended. He was well aware he was a limp noodle.

"... What is 'temp' work?" Baby steps, Scrooge.

"Basically you go to the local agency and they keep your information on hand for temporary jobs. Largely clerical work or other relatively simple office tasks that a business might need a few more workers for but don't intend to keep on permanently. Still, it's a way to build up a resume or at least get your foot in the door with a company."

Poe blinked. A lot. Clearly several of those words were new to him. He wished he had a dictionary.

"I... see... and you think I can do these... temp jobs?"

"Can you answer a phone and take messages?" Scrooge asked, raising a brow even as he kept his eyes on the road.

The fact that Poe had to pause and think was a little worrisome, but eventually he seemed to latch onto something. "Oh, of course! Just like how I was keeping tabs on those bitches back in high school! You had to stay on top of the rumor mill if you wanted to survive."

"...Honestly, it is the same basic principle." He couldn't even be annoyed at Poe for that. "You're good at organizing information. That's a good job skill for anyone organizing paperwork or answering phones."

"So, I'd be a secretary." Poe surmised. "Minus the short skirts and long nails, presumably."

"Basically."

Though honestly he could see Poe wearing a mini skirt and acrylic nails just to spite someone.

And he'd work it.

"It'd drive my parents insane to know I'd fall so low." Poe chuckled. "Sounds perfect to me."

Scrooge chuckled. "Sometimes spite is a good motivator.

"I take it you don't have any spare clothes, so we'll have to stop by a thrift store or some other second-hand shop."

Poe's shoulders sunk. "A thrift shop." he repeated. "I pray I don't instantly vaporize the moment I step foot..."

"You'll survive." He nodded towards the blanket. "That came from a thrift store, and it didn't burn your skin."

Poe almost jumped. "It did?! ... Ew. How do you... handle... knowing someone else touched this stuff?"

"For starters, I washed it at the coin laundry before I ever used it. I'm cheap, not unsanitary."

"Even so... it's gunna take me a while to get over it." A small shudder.

"Unfortunately until we start making a lot of money, we make do with what we have. Most of my paycheck goes back home, after all."

Eyebrow raise. "What? Back home? Did your parents lose their jobs?"

"No, but I want to make their lives more comfortable. They finally managed to move into a somewhat nice apartment. A fleatrap by your standards, but at least they have more room. If I could, I'd earn enough to at least let Matilda go to Duckburg Community College so she could get a better job."

Scrooge didn't look at Poe for more than just driving. He hated admitting just how bad off his family was.

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